Charges have been laid after a seventh child was left in a hot car by his parents, along with two dogs.

Police were called to a fast food restaurant east of Toronto on Wednesday evening when passersby noticed the child and two animals in a sweltering car as temperatures outside broke 35 degrees.

The mother has been charged with leaving a child under 16 unattended.

The boy, six years old, is the seventh child to be left in a hot car in Canada this year. The majority of the reported case have been in Southern Ontario, though one child died in Edmonton and another was seriously injured in Montreal.

This latest case did not result in any injuries. The windows of the vehicle were down and the engine was shut off, but the car was parked in direct sunlight as a heat wave scorches the province.

The boy’s mother, 43, said the child was alone for about ten minutes.

We’re tracking each of these reported cases across Canada. If we’re missing one, you can email us at wwolfewylie@postmedia.com

In the past 15 years, 575 children have died being locked in hot cars. That’s to say nothing of the pets left in hot cars in far greater numbers in summer months around the world.

A car left in the sun on a hot day can easily harm an adult, let alone a small child or an animal. The temperature can climb upward of 70 degrees and it can happen far faster than a cracked window can keep up with ventilating the vehicle, quickly leading to heat stroke, dehydration and death.